Homecoming weekend at Penn State means grilling, games, and gatherings of families. It's no surprise that thousands of people flock to Beaver Stadium in central Pennsylvania. Along with tailgating and Big Ten football, another autumn tradition is reporters ruining the fun by asking about elections in this crucial battleground state every two years.
But, aside from the issues that are dominating the headlines – the economy, crime, and abortion rights – some people have expressed a different concern to CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa.
"This election threatens our democracy." and it could be taken away from us soon," Kevin Naff said. "And I believe that is what this election is all about." Because if these election deniers are appointed as secretaries of state or other positions of power, and someone wins an election that they don't like, they will overturn it. And will we care at that point? It won't be too late."
Indeed, CBS News has labeled over 300 Republican candidates for state and national office as "election deniers" for stating their refusal to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election as legitimate.
And, with the Republican Party still led by the country's most prominent election denier, former President Donald Trump, it's unclear how his supporters will react when the votes are counted in just nine days.
"What is coming down from elites - from the former president, from Republican Party leaders, from many candidates - is the perpetuation of this idea that something was stolen, that these elections are not legitimate," said Michael Berkman, director of Penn State's McCourtney Institute for Democracy. They research what it takes to foster democratic institutions in the United States and around the world.
"In the United States, people often say it can't happen here, the rise of a hard-line, nationalistic, anti-democratic government," Costa inquired. Could it, however?"
"Of course," Berkman replied. "I mean, the thing to remember about democratic erosion is that it is most likely to occur from within." We're all watching what's going on in Ukraine, and we're all impressed and proud of the Ukrainian people for standing up and fighting for their democracy. However, coups and invasions are rarely used to bring down a democracy. It usually dies from the inside out. After an authoritarian leader is elected, they begin to change the rules. They begin to change the other people in office, as well as the referees. And you begin to erode norms, begin to erode guardrails. You begin to erode people's acceptance and legitimacy of institutions critical to democratic rule." And you could end up in a bad situation."
The free press was regarded as one of the pillars of representative government by the framers of the Constitution. "...wherever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government," Thomas Jefferson said.
But, are today's news organizations prepared to meet the challenges of the present?
"The Republican Party is gripped by people who are election deniers," Costa asked Margaret Sullivan, former public editor of The New York Times and media critic at the Washington Post. How should the press deal with this? It's taking place within a single party."
"Right. "And we need to be very direct in saying that and pointing it out," Sullivan responded. "Of course, both parties will be held to the same standards." We're not on the same team. "Both parties are held to the same standards." But when one party is the one doing this very troubling thing, we must be honest about it. And it's fine if it elicits criticism from the right."
In her new book, "Newsroom Confidential," Sullivan claims that the press has been reluctant to call out attacks on democracy for fear of being labeled "partisan."
"How does the media cover it without sounding alarmist at every turn?" Costa wondered.
"I don't think we're being sufficiently alarmist," Sullivan responded. "I think we need to stop sleeping at the switch and start warning people about what might happen if election denialists gain power and decide, 'Oh, well, we only like the results of this election, but not that one.'" We don't even have a country anymore."
The stakes of this year's election are "profound," according to Reihan Salam, president of the conservative Manhattan Institute, which focuses on economic policy.
"When you look at the COVID overhang and the various COVID relief measures, they've had a massive impact on our country's fiscal future," he said. "We could be in for a recession."
According to polls, Republicans could make significant gains in 2022, but how will they use that power?
Salam has the same "kitchen table concerns" as many Republican-leaning voters, but is skeptical that either party will deliver timely solutions: "Unfortunately, I don't think this election will be about policy." I believe the election is primarily a reaction to the state of the economy. And, if conservatives do win a sizable number of seats in Congress, they will face a significant challenge in the years ahead, especially in 2024. Basically, we're in a situation where our politics are on a knife edge right now. Republicans and Democrats both have a chance to win. So it's a total zero-sum dynamic in which the Democrats don't want the Republicans to win, and vice versa."
Washington gridlock is an old cliché, but it, like many clichés, has some truth to it. Even amid the celebrations at Penn State, some were skeptical that politics could effect real change.
"A long time ago, I actually believed in the system," Lamar Shy told Costa.
"What shattered your faith in the system?"
"None of the problems ever get solved," he said. "Everyone says they're going to fix the economy, everything, health care. And everything is in disarray."
With Election Day approaching, could a lack of faith in our system become self-fulfilling?
"Well, you can't make people care, but you can explain the consequences to people," Margaret Sullivan says of those determined to participate in democracy - politicians, journalists, and voters. You can converse with others. I believe we can ask people to be their best selves as citizens of the United States. That means staying informed and not dismissing news. 'I'm tuned out, I don't want it anymore,' so many people say. Everything is negative. 'I don't mind.'"
"What do you say to them?" Costa inquired.
"I believe that if you want to live in this country and be a good citizen - and I believe that people do, that there is a strong sense of patriotism - it is critical to be an engaged citizen and to be aware of what is going on."
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